


Hat Trick

by PrincessAmericaChavez



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Childhood Trauma, F/M, Fjord Has Issues (Critical Role), Fluff, Heart-to-Heart, Mutual Pining, Sweet, post-episode s02e97
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-05
Updated: 2020-03-05
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:02:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23031382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrincessAmericaChavez/pseuds/PrincessAmericaChavez
Summary: “You took your hat off,” she points out.Fjord stiffens —just a little, but she knows him too well not to notice.
Relationships: Fjord/Jester Lavorre
Comments: 2
Kudos: 122





	Hat Trick

The talks with Essek are long and emotionally exhausting. Jester feels like an eternity must have passed since they stepped into the Ball Eater but Caleb informs her that the night is still young. The others are ready to go home too, but she feels an urgency tugging at her chest.

“I gotta go get my mama,” she whispers. 

Everyone —Essek included— immediately volunteers to go with her and she’s overwhelmed by their sweetness, but it wouldn’t be fair to put her exhausted friends through the party again. Beau is looking rather winded down from whatever Cad did to her earlier and Caleb’s eyes are still reddened from tears that she pretended not to see him shed. Veth probably wants to go to Luc and Yezza too, and Yasha already had to deal with Sharp. 

“How about this,” Fjord steps in, “I’ll go with you so the others can head back to the chateau and plan our next steps.”

She likes the way he says it, pragmatic and simple. It takes the weight off her shoulders. She nods and relief floods her when the others agree.

“If something goes wrong or you need help, you may send a message,” Essek offers, quietly and without meeting her eyes. Jester smiles, feeling a familiar warmth spread through her chest when she realizes what he _means_ by that.

After the others are gone and they begin making their way back to the docks, she thanks Fjord for walking with her.

“No problem,” he says, ever polite, “I did promise your mama that I’d look after you. She’d probably kill me if I let you go alone.”

The idea that Fjord could actually be scared of her mother startles a laugh out of her. 

“Fjord! We do a lot of stuff that is more dangerous than walking to a party at night.”

“You never know,” he shrugs, though there’s playfulness hidden behind his tone. 

Something brushes against her right hand and she looks down to see the ridiculously large hat she’d given him held by his side. 

“You took your hat off,” she points out. 

Fjord stiffens —just a little, but she knows him too well not to notice.

“Ah, yes. Sorry. I know you wanted me to wear it.”

“No, no, no, it’s alright-”

“It’s just, that one empire captain I was talking to earlier kept making fun of it and it was making it hard to be taken seriously. Figured I’d take the source of the poking out of the way.”

He’s casual about it but something about his words twists Jester’s stomach. It takes her a moment to connect the dots and realize that he’s heard him talk like that before… about his tusks. _Oh, Fjord._

“I’m sorry. It was a dumb joke, Fjord. You didn’t really have to wear it if you didn’t want to.”

He finally turns to look at her, brow furrowed. 

“What? No, no! Jester, I- I did want to wear it. I mean, you guys got it for me, right? I don’t care that it was a joke, you know. No one’s ever really… bought me clothes and shit like that before. It was a nice gift, including the hat.”

That warmth, again —being loved and having friends who really appreciate her is the best feeling in the whole damn world. Jester smiles and lowers her head to hide her burning cheeks. Hopefully, the night will be dark enough to hide it. 

As they reach the party, Fjord stops. She mirrors him on instinct and wonders if something is wrong. He has a determined look on his face, like he’s about to go to battle, but instead he brings the hat up and deliberately places it on his head.

Jester gaps, just a little. He sends her a wink.

“Are you sure, Fjord?”

“Hell yeah! Two people I love a whole lot got me this as a gift. Of course I’m fucking wearing it. With pride.”

The warmth hasn’t subsided but it crashes like the ocean waves against the swelling pride in her chest. He’s come so far. She’s so proud of him. She loves him so much (she doesn’t let herself dwell on that particular thought for too long, though, she loves all her friends totally and this doesn’t mean anything and it’s just normal and she’s not confused or anything).

She brings her hands up and gently fixes the hat on his head. 

“There,” she smiles satisfied. “You look very handsome, Captain Tusktooth.”

Fjord chuckles and she’s standing so close that she can feel his breath ruffling her bangs. 

“Maybe we can take a little bit longer in the party before we go back home,” she suggests. He arches a quizzical eyebrow. “I just think that one rude captain might want to join Lord Sharp in the balcony for the rest of the night.”

There’s a delightful moment of realization across Fjord’s face, followed by an instant of tenderness and finally settling for a mischievous tusked grin. This version of him is her favorite.

“Well then,” his voice has only a hint of his old drawl, “let’s get this party started.”


End file.
